• Wine importers to debate best of Italy & Mediterranean at Bellavita

    This month’s Bellavita exhibition gives UK wine buyers the chance to explore and discover wines and food from across Italy and the Mediterranean at an event dedicated to bringing the full restaurant experience together under one roof. So rather than just have an event purely for wine, and another for food, Bellavita is very much about bringing the two sides together. The Buyer will be hoping to do that too as part of a wine trade debate on November 7 that will ask major importers and merchants to assess where Italian and Mediterranean wines are going in the premium on-trade.

    This month’s Bellavita exhibition gives UK wine buyers the chance to explore and discover wines and food from across Italy and the Mediterranean at an event dedicated to bringing the full restaurant experience together under one roof. So rather than just have an event purely for wine, and another for food, Bellavita is very much about bringing the two sides together. The Buyer will be hoping to do that too as part of a wine trade debate on November 7 that will ask major importers and merchants to assess where Italian and Mediterranean wines are going in the premium on-trade.

    mm By October 1, 2019

    What do major buyers think are the biggest opportunities for Italian and Mediterranean wines? Find out at The Buyer debate at the Bellavita Expo on November 7.

    The Bellavita Expo promises to be a one a stop shop for anyone involved in buying and selling Italian and Mediterranean wine. If you are also running an Italian or Mediterranean restaurant then there really is no other place to be than London’s Business Design Centre on November 7 and 8.

    “Bellavita Expo is made by the trade for the trade” says Claudia Galetta, event director of the show. It does so by forging close partnerships with major producers, importers, distributors and influencers who can help shape a conference, masterclass and exhibition programme that is effective for busy buyers to visit.

    That is why this year’s event is being expanded to cover not just Italian wines, but those from across the Mediterranean which are growing in demand and interest and value across the premium on-trade. It means that for the first time there will be wines from countries such as Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Cyprus to taste alongside the Italian classics.

    The Buyer debate 

    The Buyer is working with Bellavita to help promote the highlights of the event to the premium on-trade. One of which features a debate hosted by, Richard Siddle, editor-in-chief of The Buyer, with a panel of leading importers, distributors and wine merchants. They are coming together on November 7 at 2.30pm to discuss the following: “What points of difference are Italian and Mediterranean wines offering wine buyers and sommeliers in terms of price, quality, styles and stories?”

    Helping to answer that question are the following:

    Corney & Barrow’s Rebecca Palmer will be joining The Buyer’s debate at Bellavita Expo in November
    • Matt Smith, wine buyer, Fields, Morris & Verdin
    • Rebecca Palmer, head wine buyer, Corney & Barrow
    • Chris Carson, co-founder of Carson & Carnevale
    • Nik Darlington, co-founder, Graft Wine
    • Jason Millar, retail director, Theatre of Wine

    The idea of the panel session is to cover not just the topics in hand, but for each of the buyers to share their own personal experiences working with and buying from different regions and countries across Italy and the Mediterranean.

    There will also be the opportunity for questions from the show’s visitors on the specific regions, varieties and price points they see as being particularly in demand over the coming year.

    Wide programme

    The show is full of a range of wine talks featuring well known MWs and wine personalities

    As well as The Buyer debate there are a number of other well known wine figures taking part in talks and seminars and masterclasses at Bellavita. These include Peter McCombie MW, Angela Mount, Caroline Gilby MW, Nancy Gilchrist MW who will be sharing a varied wine seminar and masterclass programme.

    As well as wine there are a number of other themed areas to discover more about the food and wine from Italy and the Mediterranean. In all the show will feature five theatres, each dedicated to a specific market segment – BeWine, BeFood, BeBeer, BeMix and The Pizza Academy. Each covering the latest trends, with masterclasses, food demonstrations and seminars.

    There is a new Private Label Zone which is looking to help connect buyers with producers of private label goods, including wine.

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